Colorado's ESEA Flexibility Waiver Renewal Application was submitted to and received by U.S. Department of Education on March 31, 2015. Colorado received approval of the application on November 20, 2015.

In February, 2012, Colorado received a two-year waiver to many federal ESEA requirements through a waiver process offered by the Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan. Since that time, CDE has submitted and received approval of several iterations of the waiver, including a one-year extension granted in spring, 2014.

Colorado's current ESEA waiver expired at the end of the 2014-2015 school year. CDE believes the waivers have been helpful to Colorado students, schools, school districts and BOCES by streamlining the state and federal accountability systems and focusing improvement efforts. Therefore, CDE applied for, and received, approval for a one-year renewal of the ESEA Waiver for the 2015-2016 school year.